Weishardt

What Weishardt does

Weishardt is a French family-owned manufacturer of gelatins and marine collagen peptides, founded in 1839 and headquartered in Graulhet, France. The company operates four production plants in France, Slovakia (GeLiMa, acquired 1995), and Canada (Tergel, 2007), supported by wholly-owned sales subsidiaries in Japan, Spain, Poland, and Hungary, generating 85% of sales from export markets. Its core product portfolio comprises three gelatin variants — pig skin (Type A, 130–300 Bloom), fish skin (180–240 Bloom, Kosher/Halal/Friend of the Sea certified), and an exclusive cold-soluble gelatin (150–300 Bloom, fine powder) — produced via gentle enzymatic and proprietary processing methods, alongside the Naticol® marine collagen peptide sub-brand launched in 2021.

The business model is direct B2B ingredient sales to enterprise manufacturers across pharmaceutical (capsules, tablets, microencapsulation, haemostatic sponges, ostomy bags), confectionery, dairy, and nutraceutical segments, with quote-based pricing tailored to customer bloom strength, mesh, and certification requirements. Differentiators include 180+ years of brand heritage, category-leading certifications (ISO 9001, FSSC 22000, GRAS, Kosher, Halal, MSC, Friend of the Sea, Sedex-SMETA, EcoVadis Top 20% CSR), and an integrated finished-product line (Naticol® Confectionery) that extends the marine collagen offering downstream into consumer-facing functional confections.

Customer reach is horizontal, spanning pharma-grade and food-grade applications across three continents, while sustainability is operationally embedded: 95% of waste at the Graulhet site is recycled or recovered, 20% of group investments are dedicated to environmental impact reduction, and the company has materially cut electricity (-16% 2019–2020), water (-9% 2019–2020), non-renewable energy (-13% 2014–2020), and carbon footprint (-11% 2006–2019). Competitive context places Weishardt among the key global gelatin and collagen peptide players alongside GELITA and Nitta Gelatin in a market projected to grow from USD 2.8B (2026) to USD 7.0B (2036) at a 9.7% CAGR.

Name

Weishardt

Legal name

SAS Gelatines Weishardt

Website

https://weishardt.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1839

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Weishardt is a French family-owned manufacturer of pig skin, fish skin, and cold-soluble gelatins plus Naticol® marine collagen peptides, serving global B2B customers across food, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries from four production plants in France, Slovakia, and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Food and Pharmaceutical Ingredients

NAICS

Food Manufacturing (311), Rendering and Meat Byproduct Processing (311613)

SIC

Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Gelatin & Animal-Derived Hydrocolloids (Gelatin, Collagen, Isinglass) (AFAJAMAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gelatin & Collagen Hydrolysates (Animal-Based Gelling Agents) (AFAJABAD), Animal-Derived Protein Ingredients (Egg, Collagen/Gelatin, Blood/Plasma Proteins) (AFAJAHAB), Marine & Aquatic Protein Ingredients (Fish Protein, Shellfish Protein, Fish Collagen) (AFAJAHAD), Hydrocolloids, Thickeners & Gelling Agents (Pectin, Xanthan, Carrageenan, Gelatin) (CRADAOAD)

Keywords

• Gelatin manufacturing
• Marine collagen peptides
• Pharmaceutical excipients
• Food ingredients supply
• Nutraceutical ingredients

Headquarters

HQ city

Graulhet

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Gelatin product sales: Sale of high-quality gelatin products (pig skin, fish skin, and cold-soluble) to food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries. Products are sold in various forms (powder, grain) with different bloom strengths to meet specific formulation requirements.
2. Marine collagen peptide sales (Naticol): Sale of Naticol marine collagen peptides to dietary supplements, functional foods and beverages, and pharmaceutical applications sectors. The product is sold as an ingredient for nutricosmetics, joint comfort, and anti-aging applications.
3. International subsidiary distribution: Revenue generated through international subsidiaries (Japan, Spain, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Canada) that handle collection of raw materials and distribution of products in their respective areas.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Weishardt manufactures and sells industrial gelatin ingredients (pig skin, fish skin, cold-soluble) and marine collagen peptides under the Naticol sub-brand for food, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical manufacturers. Products are sold as bulk ingredients with customizable bloom strengths, mesh grades, and certifications, with 85% of production exported through international subsidiaries.

Product overview

Weishardt® is a global manufacturer of gelatines and marine collagen peptides founded in 1839, operating 4 production plants with 430 employees. The product portfolio centers on three gelatin types (pig skin, fish skin, and cold-soluble) serving food, pharmaceutical, and beverage sectors, alongside the Naticol® marine collagen peptide sub-brand targeting dietary supplements and nutricosmetics. The gelatin product line functions as the core platform with applications spanning confectionery (gelled and aerated), dairy (yogurts, mousses, ice creams), pharmaceutical (capsules, tablets, microencapsulation, medical devices), and broader food applications. Naticol® represents a higher-value specialty segment leveraging marine-sourced collagen with clinically proven skin, joint, and performance benefits. The company also develops finished confectionery products incorporating Naticol® collagen peptides, creating a vertically integrated consumer-facing offering alongside its B2B ingredient business.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Naticol®: Weishardt's exclusive range of marine collagen peptides, naturally sourced and designed for dietary supplements, functional foods and beverages, and pharmaceutical applications (capsules and soft gels). Clinically proven benefits for skin, joints, and physical performance.

Products and services

• Pig Skin Gelatine Type A pig skin gelatin with gel strength ranging from 130 to 300 Bloom and granulometry from 6 to 100 mesh, designed for confectionery, dairy, and pharmaceutical formulations including hard and soft capsules. FDA GRAS-recognized.
• Fish Skin Gelatine Type A fish skin gelatin with gel strength ranging from 180 to 240 Bloom and granulometry from 6 to 60 mesh. Kosher and Halal certified with optional Friend of the Sea certification, providing a mammalian-free alternative for food, pharmaceutical, and technical industries.
• Cold-Soluble Gelatine Innovative gelatin produced using an exclusive proprietary process that ensures superior solubility without heat. Fine powder (60 mesh) with gel strength ranging from 150 to 300 Bloom, designed for applications requiring minimal heat exposure to preserve sensitive ingredients.
• Naticol Marine Collagen Peptides Exclusive range of marine collagen peptides derived via a gentle enzymatic process from fish skin by-products, with odor and taste neutrality and water solubility. Targeted at dietary supplements, functional foods and beverages, and pharmaceutical applications. Clinically proven benefits for skin anti-aging, joint comfort, and physical performance. Friend of the Sea and MSC certified.
• Naticol Confectionery Products Confectionery products based on fish collagen peptides from the Naticol range, combining confectionery eating pleasure with proven anti-aging benefits of marine collagen peptides.

Quantifiable outcome

• Electricity consumption reduced by 16% between 2019 and 2020
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• ESAT Chantecler (AGAPEI association)minorOthersCollaboration with ESAT Chantecler of the AGAPEI association for inclusion of workers with disabilities. Three times a week, workers with disabilities contribute to the filling of Naticol bags on the Graulhet site.
• Cap EmploiminorOthersPartnership with Cap Emploi reinforcing commitment to inclusion in the workplace. Collaboration to welcome employees with disabilities.
• TrifylminorOthersPartnership with Trifyl waste treatment facility located 4km from Graulhet site. Waste from wastewater treatment plant is repurposed through anaerobic digestion to generate energy.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• GELITA: GELITA is the global market leader in gelatin and collagen peptides, producing pig, bovine, and fish gelatins for food, pharma, and nutraceutical applications. It is Weishardt's most direct competitor with broader scale and similar product portfolio across all three gelatin types.
• Rousselot (Darling Ingredients): Rousselot is a leading global gelatin and collagen peptide manufacturer owned by Darling Ingredients. It serves the same food, pharma, and nutraceutical markets as Weishardt with comparable product breadth including specialty gelatins and collagen peptides under the Peptan brand.
• Nitta Gelatin: Nitta Gelatin is a publicly traded Japanese gelatin and collagen producer and one of the three key players identified alongside Weishardt in the global collagen peptide market. It offers overlapping gelatin and collagen peptide products for food and pharmaceutical applications, with strong Asian market presence.
• PB Leiner: PB Leiner is a global gelatin producer with operations in multiple countries, serving food, pharmaceutical, and technical applications. It is a direct competitor in pig and bovine gelatin markets with similar B2B ingredient sales model.
• Italgelatine: Italgelatine is an Italian gelatin manufacturer producing pig and bovine gelatins for food, pharmaceutical, and technical applications. It directly competes with Weishardt in the European B2B gelatin ingredient market.
• Gelnex: Gelnex is a Brazilian-based global gelatin producer with significant market share in pig and bovine gelatin for food and pharmaceutical applications. It is a comparable peer with similar B2B ingredient focus and global export orientation.
• Reinert Group: Reinert Group is a German producer of gelatins, collagens, and proteins for food, nutrition, and pharmaceutical markets. It offers directly overlapping products including hydrolyzed collagen peptides and specialty gelatins.

Broad incumbents

• Tessenderlo Group (PB Leiner parent history): Tessenderlo Group is a Belgian chemical group historically involved in gelatin production. While broader in scope today, its gelatin activities overlap directly with Weishardt's product portfolio in food and pharma grade gelatin.

Emerging players

• Jellice Pioneer: Jellice Pioneer is a Taiwanese gelatin manufacturer producing pig skin gelatin for food and pharmaceutical applications. It is a relevant peer in Asian markets with overlapping product offerings and serves similar multinational B2B customers.
• Bioactive Collagen Peptides (Peptan/Collagen Solutions): Collagen Solutions produces medical-grade collagen and gelatin-based biomaterials for pharmaceutical and medical device applications. It overlaps with Weishardt's pharmaceutical and medical sponge segments with higher-purity specialty positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Weishardt